Although the challenge is difficult, the rewards are ruthless enough.
Venusaur is now at Gym-level, level 52.
If this mission is completed, it will directly level up by three.
From level 52 to level 55.
A three-level increase at this stage is a significant boost.
After reaching Gym-level, every level increase requires a massive amount of battle experience; three levels save an unknown amount of grinding time.
Furthermore, there is also a legendary item exclusive to Venusaur.
Dual Flower.
The system description is very simple, only stating that an incredible positive change will occur after use.
It does not specify what kind of change.
But the vaguer the description, the more it proves that this item is not simple.
A legendary item guarantees absolute positive gains!
Roy knows its value.
So, he just ran it through his mind once and had already made his decision.
Regardless of whether he can beat this challenge mission, he has to try.
After all, he still has a trump card in his hand.
Zapdos.
A level 65 legendary Pokemon.
Although he doesn't usually let Zapdos out to fight wild Pokemon for training, he has put a lot of effort into Zapdos in private.
A legendary Pokemon like Zapdos has a very arrogant temperament.
But every time Roy feeds it, he releases Aura to communicate with it, letting it feel his goodwill and respect.
Over time, Zapdos's attitude toward him has changed from initial indifference to being willing to be close now.
The friendship level is cultivated quite well.
Commanding it to fight should be no problem.
With Zapdos holding the line, plus the assistance of his own Psychic and Aura, even if he can't defeat that Venusaur leader, holding out for thirty minutes shouldn't be impossible.
Misty, listening to Joy's explanation nearby, still found it somewhat incredible.
She tilted her head and asked, "What kind of garden is it, is it that mysterious? Even a Venusaur that has already been caught needs to be affected by it?"
Togepi in her arms also tilted its head, looking completely clueless.
Joy smiled, shook her head, and said, "I'm not too sure about that either. I've just been working here for a long time and know a little bit about the situation. But don't worry, it will only be affected for a while, and with the treatment I gave your Venusaur, I estimate that it won't be long before your Venusaur can recover to normal."
She paused and looked at the three of them. "Do you have any other Pokemon that need recovery now?"
Roy nodded. "Yes."
He took out all the poké balls on his person and placed them on the counter.
Delia and Misty also handed over their poké balls.
"Please wait a moment, I will help you recover them together." Joy collected the poké balls and turned to walk into the treatment room.
The three of them sat back down on the bench in the waiting area.
Misty looked down and teased the Togepi in her arms; the little guy stretched out its short little hands to grab her fingers, grabbing back and forth, having a great time.
Delia sat beside Roy and glanced at him from the side.
She noticed that Roy had been distracted for a moment just now.
"What are you thinking about?" Delia asked softly.
Roy came back to his senses and smiled. "Nothing, just thinking about Venusaur."
He didn't mention the system mission.
It's not that he didn't trust them, but that this kind of thing is too troublesome to explain.
Delia looked at him, didn't press further, and just gave a soft "Mm."
The three of them just waited like that.
After a while, Joy walked out carrying a tray with their poké balls neatly arranged on it.
"They have all recovered." Joy smiled. "Everyone's Pokemon are in good condition. By the way, I have also handled the situation with Venusaur; the energy resonance in its body has calmed down, and it will be completely back to normal after resting for another day."
"Thank you, Joy." Delia stood up and took the poké balls.
"You're welcome." Joy nodded. "If you need anything else, feel free to come to the counter and find me."
The three of them took the poké balls and returned to the Pokemon Center's rest area first.
Roy clipped all his poké balls back onto his belt one by one, then took out Venusaur's poké ball to take a look.
The green light on the surface of the ball had disappeared.
It had returned to its normal color.
He released his Aura to probe it and felt that Venusaur was sleeping peacefully inside.
It was indeed nothing serious.
Misty put away all her poké balls, sat on the sofa holding Togepi, and let out a long sigh.
"You scared me to death." She patted her chest. "I thought Venusaur had caught some strange illness."
"It was just a false alarm." Delia sat down beside her and smiled.
Roy leaned back on the sofa, his gaze looking out the window.
The sunlight outside was just right.
The distant woods were glowing with a verdant color under the sunlight, a scene full of vitality.
His thoughts had already started drifting toward the Incredible Garden.
Throughout the day, the three of them rested and adjusted at the Pokemon Center.
Delia and Misty played with Togepi in the rest area; the little guy was in particularly high spirits today, rolling around on the sofa, occasionally making milky-sounding cries.
Pikachu and Eevee were also let out, chasing and playing in the rest area.
Delia sat to the side, smiling as she watched them play.
Misty stuck to Togepi's side the whole time; wherever Togepi rolled, she followed, afraid that the little guy would roll off the sofa and get hurt.
Seeing her protective behavior, Delia couldn't help but laugh.
Roy sat alone in the corner and opened the system panel.
He began to browse the data of all the Pokemon he had recently captured.
This time, challenging the Venusaur leader of the Incredible Garden, the mission requires Venusaur as the main Pokemon, and at most three Pokemon can be sent out.
In other words, Venusaur must be sent out.
So, the remaining two spots need to be carefully considered.
Roy's fingers slid across the virtual screen, and the data of each Pokemon unfolded before his eyes.
Roy's gaze lingered on Zapdos's data.
Level 65.
Having stepped into the threshold of Quasi-Elite, a Pokemon of this level is already on a completely different level of combat power.
Zapdos is the highest-level one he has on hand right now, and also his trump card.
Usually, unless it's a last resort, he doesn't really want to use it.
But this mission is indeed tricky, so bringing Zapdos is necessary.
Then the remaining one spot...
Roy thought for a moment and cast his gaze toward Charizard.
A level 54 Charizard, Fire-type plus Flying-type; the level isn't particularly high, but it's not low either.
The most critical thing is the attribute.
grass-type fears fire.
Against the Venusaur leader, Charizard's attribute advantage is maxed out.
Although the opponent's level is definitely far higher than Charizard's, with the attribute counter, Charizard's Fire-type skills should still be able to deal damage when used.
Furthermore, Charizard has followed him through many battles and has very rich combat experience; combined with his commands, the combat power it can unleash far exceeds the panel values.
Venusaur, Charizard, Zapdos.
This lineup is the optimal solution he can come up with.
Roy finalized the three Pokemon for battle in his heart and closed the system panel.
The sky outside gradually darkened.
Delia went to the Pokemon Center's restaurant and bought three set meals, and the three of them sat together and had dinner.
After eating, they chatted for a while.
Delia suggested resting early; after all, they got up early this morning and traveled, so everyone was a bit tired.
Although Misty still wanted to play with Togepi for a while longer, after being told a few words by Delia, she obediently held Togepi and returned to her room.
Roy said goodnight to Delia and also returned to his room.
He closed the door.
He took off his coat and sat cross-legged on the bed.
He closed his eyes.
Aura was slowly released and spread out in the room.
He didn't sleep immediately but started meditating.
Roy kept his eyes closed, his breathing steady and long.
Aura spread out in all directions with him as the center, like water ripples.
He could perceive Delia's Aura in the room next door.
He could perceive Misty rolling on the bed holding Togepi.
He could perceive Joy still organizing documents behind the counter in the Pokemon Center lobby.
Everything was quiet.
Time passed bit by bit.
Just as Roy was preparing to end his meditation and lie down to sleep.
Suddenly.
His Aura perception captured a strange energy fluctuation.
That fluctuation came from outside the window, very weak, but the frequency was very special.
It was like a kind of summons.
Roy opened his eyes abruptly.
He stood up, walked to the window, pulled back the curtain, and looked out.
The night was deep.
The distant forest was hidden in the darkness, and nothing could be seen.
But his Aura clearly perceived it.
Deep in the forest, a powerful energy was pulsating rhythmically.
Pulsing bright and then dim.
Releasing and retracting.
Like a heartbeat.
This frequency...
Roy raised an eyebrow.
It was exactly the same as the green light on Venusaur's back during the day.
He understood in an instant.
The Venusaur leader in that Mysterious Garden started to emit its unique ability.
Joy said during the day that this Venusaur leader would mobilize the surrounding Bulbasaur and Ivysaur at specific times, summoning them to the garden for some kind of ceremony.
The fluctuation he sensed now was that summoning.
Roy stood by the window and thought for a moment.
It's night now, and Delia and Misty are both asleep.
If he waits until tomorrow during the day to go, he doesn't know if that garden will still be there.
Joy said that the Incredible Garden only appears in specific seasons, and no one can be sure exactly when.
If he missed it, he would really miss it.
He made a decision.
Go now.
He turned and walked out of the room.
The corridor was quiet, with only the night light emitting a dim yellow glow.
Roy didn't use the front door but wrapped his body with his Psychic power.
Teleport.
The next second, he appeared in the Pokemon Center's storage room.
This storage room is specifically for Trainers to store their Pokemon; every Trainer has an independent small room where Pokemon can rest.
Roy pushed the door open and walked in.
Pikachu was lying on the small bed sleeping soundly, its tail twitching from time to time, not knowing what dream it was having.
Roy looked at it and hesitated for a moment.
Pikachu was grinding levels in the wild yesterday and fought several tough battles in a row, consuming quite a lot of stamina.
Although it recovered at the Pokemon Center today, mental fatigue is not so easy to eliminate.
And this time he is going to fight a tough battle.
He considered it and finally decided not to wake Pikachu up.
He turned and walked out of the storage room and came to another storage room.
This storage room was much larger than Pikachu's, and a faint Aura of lightning emanated from inside.
It heard the door sound and turned its head to look over.
Roy walked over and picked up Zapdos's poké ball.
Three poké balls were clipped to his belt.
He took a deep breath and activated Teleport again.
The next second.
He appeared in the open space outside the Pokemon Center.
The night wind blew into his face, carrying the scent of grass and trees peculiar to the forest.
Roy closed his eyes, released his Aura with full force, and captured the source of that summoning fluctuation.
Found it.
In the southeast direction.
The distance is not too far.
He wrapped his body with his Psychic power, shot up from the ground, and flew toward the direction perceived by his Aura.
The night wind whistled past his ears.
Roy didn't fly very high, only about ten meters off the ground.
The forest beneath his feet blurred into a mass in the night, with only the occasional reflection of Water-type light allowing one to roughly judge the situation on the ground.
The perception of Aura was becoming clearer and clearer.
That summoning fluctuation was like an invisible thread, pulling his perception to extend forward.
Southeast direction, the distance is about two kilometers.
Flew for a few minutes.
Roy suddenly slowed down.
His Aura perception captured an abnormal area.
On the ground, a large number of weak life Auras were moving.
Roy slowly descended and landed on the thick branch of a large tree.
He squatted down, pushed aside the leaves in front of him, and looked down.
On the forest floor, a path covered with fallen leaves wound forward.
On both sides of the road, various wild flowers and plants whose names he couldn't name grew.
Some flower buds were blooming at a speed visible to the naked eye.
One after another.
The floral scent in the air was becoming stronger and stronger.
And what really made Roy's heart skip a beat were the figures on the road.
Bulbasaur.
A large group of Bulbasaur.
A rough scan showed at least thirty or forty of them.
They were lined up in a loose formation, moving forward along the path.
Their movements were very slow, and their steps were not very steady.
One Bulbasaur even bumped into a big rock on the side of the road while walking, bumped back two steps, then shook its head, and continued to walk forward.
Its eyes were half-open and half-closed.
A faint green light was reflected in its pupils.
It was like dreaming, sleepwalking.
Roy looked back along the procession.
Following behind were a dozen or so Ivysaur, also swaying, the flower buds on their backs glowing slightly, pulsing bright and dim, completely consistent with the frequency of the summoning fluctuation in the distance.
The whole road was eerily quiet.
With so many Bulbasaur and Ivysaur moving together, they actually didn't make any sound.
Even the sound of footsteps was very light.
Only when occasionally stepping on dry fallen leaves would a crisp sound be made.
Roy squatted on the branch, his gaze sweeping over the whole area.
Suddenly, the poké ball on his waist vibrated.
Roy looked down and saw a layer of green light seeping out from the surface of Venusaur's poké ball.
The light was very faint, but it was clearly not a normal state.
It was exactly the same as when he was at Joy's place during the day.
The ball was still trembling slightly, as if Venusaur inside had felt something and was instinctively responding to that summons.
Roy frowned.
He pressed his right hand on the poké ball, and his Psychic power was mobilized instantly.
A layer of transparent energy shield wrapped around Venusaur's poké ball.
The Psychic power isolated the fluctuation from the outside.
The green light of the poké ball dimmed immediately.
The vibration also stopped.
Roy stood up and looked at the procession still walking forward below his feet.
This direction was completely consistent with the source of the summoning perceived by the Aura.
The destination of these Bulbasaur and Ivysaur should be the Incredible Garden that Joy mentioned.
Roy did not hesitate.
He leaped lightly from the branch and landed not far behind the procession.
His feet stepped on the fallen leaves, making a slight sound.
The few Ivysaur in front didn't react and continued to walk forward swaying.
They were completely immersed in that state similar to sleepwalking.
Roy was not in a hurry either; he just followed the procession forward.
His footsteps were very light, and he always kept a short distance.
His Psychic power covered his whole body, ready to react at any time.
Walked for about twenty minutes.
The path became narrower and narrower.
The trees on both sides became denser and denser, their crowns interlaced, blocking the moonlight tightly.
The light was so dim that he could see almost nothing.
Roy perceived the surrounding environment with Aura.
The procession in front suddenly made a turn.
Roy followed.
The moment he turned the corner, the scene before him made him freeze.